Cost of Living Comparison Between Oldham and Hamilton Cost of Living Comparison Between Oldham and Hamilton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,056 in Oldham versus $2,493 in Hamilton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,034 in Oldham versus $3,584 in Hamilton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,013 in Oldham versus $4,676 in Hamilton.

Living in Oldham costs roughly 18% less than in Hamilton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oldham 54% above, Hamilton 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.99 £14.88

$18.13 CA$25.51

10.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 £66.8

$73.3 CA$103

22.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.36 £7.71

$10.98 CA$15.45

-5.65%

Cappuccino

$4.62 £3.44

$4.05 CA$5.70

14.07%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 £1.92

$2.10 CA$2.95

22.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 £1.31

$1.81 CA$2.54

-2.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.99 £5.20

$5.83 CA$8.20

19.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 £4.57

$6.58 CA$9.27

-6.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 £1.17

$2.23 CA$3.14

-29.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 £1.34

$2.12 CA$2.99

-15.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 £2.51

$2.85 CA$4.01

18.25%

Eggs

$4.04 £3.01

$3.14 CA$4.41

28.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.45 £7.78

$7.74 CA$10.88

35.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.73 £7.24

$11.56 CA$16.27

-15.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.45 £12.99

$14.39 CA$20.25

21.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 £2.49

$3.91 CA$5.50

-14.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.30 CA$1.83

46.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 £2.36

$3.55 CA$4.99

-10.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 £2.81

$3.90 CA$5.49

-3.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 £1.35

$2.62 CA$3.68

-30.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 £1.40

$2.19 CA$3.08

-14.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.93

$2.21 CA$3.10

-43.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 £1.06

$1.99 CA$2.81

-28.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.21 £13.56

$13.47 CA$18.95

35.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 £7.41

$12.63 CA$17.77

-21.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 £2.13

$2.41 CA$3.39

18.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 £2.60

$3.07 CA$4.32

14.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.48 £2.59

$2.62 CA$3.69

32.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.2 £62.0

$87.4 CA$123

-4.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 £4.08

$3.54 CA$4.98

55.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 £1.25

$1.22 CA$1.72

36.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.64 £25.79

$23.62 CA$33.24

46.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.14 CA$1.61

67.54%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$38.1K £28.4K

$25.4K CA$35.7K

50.04%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$40.8K £30.4K

$20.4K CA$28.7K

99.82%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$303 £225

$155 CA$219

94.88%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$23.26 £17.31

$40.11 CA$56.4

-42.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.37 £32.29

$51.2 CA$72.0

-15.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.92 £34.93

$36.80 CA$51.8

27.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.40 CA$31.51

Cinema Ticket

$13.12 £9.77

$11.57 CA$16.28

13.40%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,603 £1,194

$643 CA$905

149.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,714 £4,999

$21.7K CA$30.5K

-69.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 £66.9

$56.0 CA$78.7

60.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 £31.67

$33.71 CA$47.43

26.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 £67.4

$96.7 CA$136

-6.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.0 £54.4

$121 CA$170

-39.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 £893

$1,352 CA$1,902

-11.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$736 £548

$1,268 CA$1,785

-41.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 £1,079

$1,987 CA$2,795

-27.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 £806

$2,022 CA$2,845

-46.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,811 £4,326

$2,710 CA$3,813

114.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,749 CA$3,868

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,452 £1,825

$2,871 CA$4,040

-14.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

6.62

-15.41%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Oldham: July 13, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,199 in Oldham and $1,352 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 17% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $90.0 in Oldham vs $73.0 in Hamilton. Groceries flip the comparison at $328 vs $341, with Oldham cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Oldham vs Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oldham is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Hamilton. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,199 in Oldham versus $1,352 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,603 in Oldham versus $643 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,056 in Oldham versus $2,493 in Hamilton, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Oldham but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. The gap between the two cities makes Oldham the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Oldham is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hamilton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Oldham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.